Imaginations
by Dixie Dewdrop
Summary: Jack finds a clever solution to keep Jethro, Tony, and Abby occupied during a D.C. blizzard.  This is part of my Here and Now series.
1. Realism

Realism

"Stop grabbing the chocolate chips, Tony! I told you I'm making gingerbread cats and I need those chips for their eyes." Abby's voice reflected her outrage. She leaned protectively over the kitchen counter, cookie cutter in hand.

Jack attempted in vain to keep his attention on the novel he wanted to read in the living room while the sounds of Abby and Tony battling in the kitchen rose to a fever pitch.

He stopped trying, finally, and set the book down on the coffee table. Interlocking his hands at the back of his head, he surveyed the snow and ice outside the living room window instead.

"No, Baby Girl, you know good and well that I had them first," Tony argued just as loudly. "You didn't even think about cooking anything until you saw I wanted to eat them."

With that, he reached his hand into the bag and brought it up filled with several of the tasty chocolate morsels, which he crammed into his mouth with a dramatic flourish.

"Give them here!" Abby demanded, snatching the bag out of Tony's hand, her pigtails swinging with the angry movement.

Still in possessions of the goodies, he yanked back equally as hard, and in their struggle, the plastic bag broke, and the chocolate chips rocketed violently throughout the kitchen, showering over the counter and floor.

Before they could take in the loss of the chips, they recognized the noise from Gibbs stomping up the stairs from the basement. Evidently, he had heard the altercation.

Tony narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Are you happy now?"

Her response was to stick out her tongue.

Jethro took in the furious expressions of both Tony and Abby, and then the chocolate chips covering the counters and floors as he stood in the kitchen's doorway.

Trying to not raise his voice, he pinched the bridge of his nose and ground out, "Abby, what do you think you are doing in here?"

She instantly replied with both a hurt expression and a voice raised in irritation. "Why did you have to only call me out? It's not even my fault! What about Tony? He's the one who…."

Gibbs cut off her tirade by snapping, "You haven't given me a chance to finish speaking, Young Lady, but you had better take care of that attitude quickly, or I promise you that I will take care of it for you."

Tony, interpreting his boss's anger level, wisely didn't offer any remarks or observations.

Abby fidgeted, and glanced in Tony's direction. He shook his head in a signal for her to stop and not say any more.

She nodded at Gibbs.

Jethro continued, and his voice rose as he pointed to them and to the candy covering the kitchen. "Both of you get this kitchen completely clean in ten minutes or you are going to find yourselves to be some unhappy campers. Both of you- not one of you, take care of this without any more fighting. I will not tell you again, and you will absolutely regret it if I have to come back in here."

Then, expecting their immediate obedience, he grabbed a cup, filled it with steaming coffee from the exhausted coffee pot, and made his way towards the living room. Stopping suddenly, he turned around to add in a no nonsense tone, "Abby, remember that if you don't take care of your attitude very quickly I will take care of it for you."

She nodded and responded softly, "Ok, I heard you," realizing that he meant business. Looking sideways at him, she waited to see if that satisfied him.

It evidently did. He started into the living room once again, rubbing his tense shoulders as he walked. Abby rarely found herself the target of his displeasure, and her behavior usually put Tony's to shame. Her conduct surprised him.

Jackson eyed him over his glasses and pointed to the recliner. "Sit down and start drinking that coffee. They'll get the kitchen clean, Son."

Automatically, he started to refuse out of habit. He caught himself, though, and Jethro did as his father said and nodded, "I know, Dad, but I had really hoped they could spend the morning not fighting." He took a long sip of coffee and grinned at Jack.

Jack smiled sympathetically, taking his glasses off and setting them on a side table. "Son, we're housebound here. We have been locked in for three days in the middle of a major blizzard. Everyone is feeling the strain, most especially Tony and Abby. They are both energetic, with get up and go personalities, and they are suffering from the confinement. Try to be patient with them, Son."

His father made sense, and he knew it.

Gibbs admitted, "All told, they have been pretty cooperative- until today, I guess."

He took another sip of his steaming coffee and smiled at his parent. "I am glad that you made it down here before the storm hit. It worries me, Dad, when I don't think you're being careful. You should have headed down here when the forecasts predicted the blizzard last week."

Jackson Gibbs still resided in Stillwater, Pennsylvania, where he operated a general store. That had been Jethro's home, too, until he joined the Marines.

"There's nothing to worry about, Son. I'm here," Jack responded, and pointed towards the kitchen, then stood up and stretched.

"I'll be back in a quick minute, Leroy." He made his way to the kitchen where Tony and Abby had already cleaned up the chocolate morsels. Together at the counter, they were bent over a cookie sheet, heads touching.

"What are you two doing?" He peeped over their shoulders and put an arm around each. Tony had a paring knife and was cutting off little pieces of a candy bar, which Abby then took to use as eyes for her cat cookies.

"Sorry about the fussing earlier. Baby Girl and I had both planned freaking weekends, not being confined to the house. We blew up at each other when we're really just disappointed about the weather cramping our fun. Anyway, how does this look?" Tony asked, pointing at the kitty cat treats.

"Wonderful, like at a bakery, and I think the candy bar makes better eyes than the chips," Jack answered.

"We kind of destroyed the chocolate morsels, but Tony remembered where a candy bar was." Abby smiled.

"Now, that's what I call teamwork," Jack smiled, then squeezed each on the shoulder. He moved to the area of the kitchen set up as the home office. Rummaging through the drawers, he came up with three legal paper pads and several pens in his grasp, then made his way back into the living room where his son sat quietly.

Gibbs eyed the stationery with interest as he moved to sit on the large, overstuffed sofa. Abby and Tony had spent weeks hounding him about the condition of the old one, until he finally got tired of hearing them and conceded one Saturday. They bought the new sofa that day, and Gibbs actually liked it, though he would not share that with Tony and Abby. Besides its roomy design, it housed a sofa bed, as well.

"What's on your mind, Dad?"

Jack smiled and his eyes twinkled, but he didn't answer, as he set the paper and pens on the coffee table. When Jack didn't respond, Gibbs started working on his crossword again, certain his dad would reveal his intentions eventually.

Jackson reached down and once again retrieved the novel he was reading, then settled comfortably in the plush armchair.

The men sat in companionable silence.


	2. Presumption

Presumption

Half an hour later Tony and Abby entered the living room, bearing a tray laden with cute kitty cat cookies. Abby set them on the coffee table, and then four hands shot out to grab one.

Tony plopped down beside Jethro, who put an arm around him and pulled him close, then kissed the top of his head and tousled his hair. He whispered, "I appreciate that you got Abby calm, and did not exacerbate the situation."

Tony nodded, but didn't make a verbal response. He leaned over to grab another cookie, and settled back against his Boss again.

Gibbs turned his attention back to his crossword.

Abby sat down on one end of the sofa. She regarded Jethro, and spoke urgently, her tone bright. "Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, this is like restriction right now, today, because I can't go anywhere or do anything. Don't you agree?"

Jethro, savvy to her motive, didn't bother to look up from the puzzle, but answered firmly, "No, no I don't Abs."

"That's so not fair. You're punishing me twice for something." She leaned against the back of the cushion and scowled.

Tony rolled his eyes at Jack, and then catching Abby's glance, slid his hand across his neck, motioning for her to stop and not continue either her course of action or train of thought.

She ignored him, and proceeded anyway, her voice wheedling. "Listen, Gibbs, really, this has already been three days of staying completely and utterly confined, and you just said a weekend. So, that means I have fulfilled the terms of the punishment, and have additionally managed to put a day up, banked, you know, that I can use later."

She stopped to gauge Jethro's reaction. He appeared to be giving the crossword more attention than he was allowing her.

Frowning, she muttered, "I bet you'd let Tony do that."

Immediately alert to Abby's intention and not wanting the wrath of Jethro on his head, Tony scowled and protested, "Oh no you don't, Baby Girl, don't put my name anywhere in your misguided plea for leniency!"

In the House of Gibbs, eight times out of ten Tony would be the one on the hot seat, suffering from one of Jethro's punishments. Further, when Abby did manage to get into trouble, it usually came about because she had tagged along with Tony. Having Abby in the cross hairs alone proved a rare event, indeed.

Gibbs set down the puzzle and picked up his cup, holding it with both hands and gathering his thoughts before he responded. He finally turned to face her.

"Get your attitude under control and listen very carefully to me, young lady. Your next weekend belongs to me because it is the consequence of not being where you told me you would be last Saturday. My decision about that deception remains non negotiable. The fact that Virginia suddenly had a blizzard which blanketed D. C. and left us cabin bound has no bearing on your situation, whatsoever. However, this is the second time I have spoken to you about your attitude today. If a third time develops, if you fail to change your tone or response, then you'll be forfeiting yet another weekend. Tony is not the issue here whatsoever, but you are, Abby."

Abby still looked displeased, ready to prolong the argument, and Tony, sensing danger, protectively tried to lighten the mood in order to save her from herself. "Hey, Baby Girl, we're making our own freaking weekend here anyway, snow or no snow."

He jumped up and sauntered over to her, then pulled her to her feet. "Let's boogie to our freaking weekend, then, Baby Girl!"

Everyone laughed at that, and Abby pulled him down to sit beside her. The tension in the room dissipated, and the crisis passed.

Chewing off a cookie cat's leg with measured bites, Jack announced, coughing to capture attention, "I have something for all of you to do now."

Clamping down on his cookie's head and dismembering it in one bite, Jethro questioned suspiciously, "What's on your mind, there, Dad?"

Jack adjusted his glasses, then peered over them to regard Abby. "Since we are stuck here, walled in by snow, we are beginning to feel constrained- confined, if you will. So I have come up with an activity that will allow our minds and imaginations to soar and take us away from our physical deprivation."

Abby, snuggled next to Tony on the sofa, giggled, and Tony reached for another cookie, but didn't take his eyes off Jack.

The older man ordered, "Each of you grab one of those ledger pads and a pen, how about it?"

They exchanged glances, but did as he had instructed without protest.

"Now, we are going to have a competition right here, a literary competition. I, as the oldest and wisest, will be the sole judge of this competition, along with the fact that I am the one who came up with this brilliant activity in the first place."

Tony laughed delightedly, excited at the idea of a surprise.

Gibbs motioned to his father, "Finish what you wanted to say, Dad. You got sidetracked."

"Ok," Jack shifted in his seat. "This is a competition, and I am giving you three hours, or roughly until supper is ready, to complete the task. Each of you will use these ledgers and writing instruments to create your own unique personal fairy tales. Now the rules are that they may or may not be based completely upon established fairy tales, and that they must at least include the four of us here as characters."

Several seconds passed as the audience processed the instructions.

Jack waited patiently for the clarifying questions he knew would surface.

"Who decides the winner again?" Abby asked, twisting a pigtail.

"I do, I'm the judge and creator of the fun," Jack replied. "I have outdone myself with this wonderful assignment."

Gibbs opened his mouth to refuse his participation, but his dad nodded towards the end of the sofa. Jethro took in Abby's and Tony's excited expressions. He grinned.

"What's the prize when I win, Dad?" Gibbs questioned, eyeing his dad with a smirk.

"No prize, Son, no one gets a reward because no mercenaries live here. I have a caveat, though, I suppose, that the person who wins gets bragging rights."

Several moments of silence followed as the three began mental preparations.

"Could we use our laptops instead, you know, Word?" Tony requested hopefully.

Jack quashed his idea. "Absolutely not- I want these fairy tales written in longhand."

That silenced them instantly, and they regarded each other with quick appraisals.

Jack continued, his voice adopting the tone of one issuing a dare to a crowd of crybabies, "Now, if you feel that you aren't talented or clever enough for this, or that you have no imagination whatsoever, you may certainly choose not to participate. However, I would not recommend you choose that route. Do we have a problem?"

All three denied any reluctance in taking on the fairy tale project.

Jack stood up and reached for the cane propped against his chair. "All right, then, I am going to the kitchen to take out the meat to thaw for supper. Your three probably need to make a start on your literary endeavors."

With that, he picked up the tray of cookies, taking them to the kitchen so that no one's appetite would be ruined for supper.


	3. Envisioning

Envisioning

Jethro tapped his pen against his pad several beats, focused on the yellow ledger paper, and then began to write.

Abby looked up at Jack's retreating back before calling out, "Jack, Jack, Jack, wait! Does spelling count?"

Jack called his reply over his shoulder, "No, spelling doesn't count."

She smiled in relief and started her story.

Tony picked up his pen and bit the top of the cover, then murmured softly, "That doesn't concern me, Baby Girl. I happen to be an excellent speller." With that, he winked at her, then he, too, began to write.

Jack returned half an hour later and found all three writing furiously. Tony and Jethro had not moved at all. Abby, however, had changed seats and now sat curled against Gibbs, her ledger in her lap.

Jack congratulated himself at having found a way to keep three such different personalities occupied and completely focused. Noticing their single minded diligence, he returned to the kitchen and decided to make the evening meal more elaborate than he had at first planned.

Half an hour before he had supper ready he called out a time warning, and watched them scramble through quick scribblings of their story conclusions. When he finally called a halt to the competition, he ordered them to put down the pens and pads, which he then collected.

"After dinner we'll take a look and discover to whom my pretend Pulitzer should be awarded," he promised.

Dinner was noisy, probably because all of them had stayed so quiet while they worked on the narratives. Even Jethro had plenty to say during the meal. Finally, though, everyone was full from pot roast and a deep dish cherry pie, and the dishes washed and kitchen cleaned. They made their way back to the living room and settled comfortably, awaiting Jack's further instructions.

Gibbs sipped at a fresh cup of coffee and smiled at his father, his heart light. He realized his good mood stemmed from his pleasure in seeing his dad so happy.

Abby raised her hand and waved it frantically. "Jack, Jack, Jack, Jack, let me go first, I want to go first!"

Not missing a beat, Tony called out next, "If Baby Girl's first, I'm second then."

Gibbs frowned at both of them, and adopted a pretend stern voice before speaking. "What is your motive for making me last in this competition?"

"None, no motive whatsoever," Abby denied, "except that we think ours will be of appropriate length as fairy tales and yours will be a very condensed version."

Gibbs smirked, "Think what you like, then, you turncoats."

Once they settled into seats, Jack handed Abby her pad and winked at her. "Ok, now pay attention one and all, because these rules are simple. The audience may ask no questions, since the competition is based on what you actually wrote in the time allotted. So, don't add anything extemporaneously, any of you."

Abby smiled with excitement, then stood to face them.

The men grinned back, and she began to read in an animated voice.

"Once upon a time in a faraway land there lived a beautiful girl named SnowAbby. SnowAbby lived with her kind, strong, father, Jethro, and her wonderful, loving grandfather, Jack. One day Jethro came home from his woodchopping business with a new wife, named Hollis."

Gibbs and Tony exchanged startled glances before they turned back to regard her.

"Poor little SnowAbby's mother had died when she was a baby, so she was so excited that she was getting a new mother. But it was not meant to be. As it turned out, Hollis hated sweet SnowAbby and was very jealous of her. One day she took SnowAbby for a walk deep into the woods. SnowAbby, who had never been allowed to wander that far from home, quickly became lost and disoriented, but sneaky Hollis wasn't confused. "

Abby paused dramatically before continuing the action.

"They came upon a tiny cottage, and Hollis told SnowAbby they would stop there and rest for a short time. They discovered the residents were not at home, but decided to go inside the home anyway. Once inside, she fed SnowAbby a poisoned apple she had brought for the trip. Hollis had done her research on poison, and thought this dose would kill the girl. She waited until she witnessed SnowAbby fall unconscious, and then she left, grateful to have done away with her. When she got home, she told Jethro that his daughter had run away to join a band of travelling troubadours. He was heartbroken, but what could the poor man do? The traveling entertainers who had visited their town had left hours earlier, and no one knew which direction they had taken."

She looked over at Gibbs and frowned. He shook his head sympathetically, and motioned her to him. Once there, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

She returned to the center of the room.

Tony and Jack both rearranged their positions, settling in for the rest of the story.

"The apple should certainly have killed SnowAbby, but thank goodness, Hollis miscalculated the amount of poison. It just threw the beautiful girl into a deep, deep sleep. Several hours later she awakened to whispers from seven tiny men, all looking at her with concern, and discussing how to approach her. She sat bolt upright and looked around, confused. One of them came forward and introduced himself as the SeniorFieldDwarfTony."

Tony, Jack, and Jethro roared with laughter at that. Jethro leaned over and tousled Tony's hair.

"He quickly introduced his buddies to SnowAbby," she continued. "GeraldDwarf, KateDwarf, TimmyDwarf, PalmerDwarf, DuckyDwarf, and ZivaDwarf. SeniorFieldDwarfTony informed her that they worked in the mines nearby, and that she had wandered into their cottage. She explained that she and her stepmother had gone for a walk and then she couldn't remember any more. TimmyDwarf, ZivaDwarf, and SeniorFieldDwarfTony began questioning her over the events and they declared the actions of Hollis as criminal ones. KateDwarf remembered that in one of the lands across the lake a criminal duo named Hollis and Leon had worked together committing crimes against humanity. GeraldDwarf, DuckyDwarf, and PalmerDwarf cut open what was left of the apple and pronounced it full of poison."

She paused and took a swallow of her iced tea. The others waited expectantly. Finally she continued the tale.

"Meanwhile, back at the homestead, Jethro lamented the loss of SnowAbby as the days turned into weeks. Hollis, in an effort to get his mind off of SnowAbby's disappearance, consulted her favorite criminal partner, Leon, who suggested she host a party to get his attention focused elsewhere. She did, and invited everyone in the entire Anacostia area to attend a supper and dance. The night of the party arrived and all the guests enjoyed themselves immensely, since Hollis had put out the finest meats and beverages.

Jethro, however, couldn't shake his sadness. He went outside and walked towards the river, thinking that the fresh air would cheer him. He was startled by the sound of hoofbeats, and suddenly a rider appeared out of the darkness. When the stranger spotted Jethro, he alighted and introduced himself. "Good evening sir, I am Prince Simon Cade from the kingdom of Rota, and I have heard that a beautiful maiden has gone missing in this area. I wish to find her."


	4. Composition

Composition

Jack leaned over and tapped Jethro, "Who is Cade?"

Tony whispered, "He was a new agent, part of team EJ."

Jethro added, "He was stationed in Rota before he was assigned to DC, and despite evidence to the contrary, Abby considers him a good guy."

Abby coughed expectantly and the three men looked chastened at their interruption.

"To continue," she spoke, "Jethro grabbed the man's hand and confided that the beautiful girl was his own beloved daughter, SnowAbby, and he missed her dearly. He would be ever so grateful if the prince would return her to him. Prince Simon promised that he would not stop searching until he found the beautiful girl. Unbeknownst to the two men, Evil Vance lurked nearby and overheard the conversation. He raced back and told Hollis what he had heard, and the two quickly made plans. They slipped out into the dark night, and headed straight for the cottage to make sure SnowAbby had not survived."

Abby stopped abruptly and looked beseechingly at Jack. "Is it okay if I make a quick trip to the restroom?"

"Absolutely," he agreed, reaching for his cane, "in fact, we probably all need a break."

Ten minutes later the group reconvened, and Abby picked her pad back up and started to read again. "SnowAbby was all alone in the cottage waiting for the dwarves to get home from work. Sometimes they worked long into the night. When she heard a noise outside, she ran out eagerly, thinking that her friends had returned. Unfortunately, she ran straight into Leon, who grabbed her tightly. Hollis joined him and clamped a cloth in SnowAbby's mouth, one soaked in a liquid which caused her to fall into a deep sleep. They set her on the ground, but as they leaned down, suddenly they were attacked by the dwarves, who had them surrounded! Within moments they had both Hollis and Leon tied up and gagged, and once they felt the two were no longer a danger, they turned their attention to SnowAbby."

The sound of Tony's cell ringing jarred them all, and he quickly cut off the ringer and apologized. The others smiled in forgiveness.

"So, they knew of no way to help their friend. DuckyDwarf had a stellar medical background, and he pronounced her condition dire indeed. SeniorDwarfTony ordered the other five dwarves to take the prisoners and march them to out of the forest and to the sheriff in the village. Then he and DuckyDwarf sat vigil, praying over SnowAbby. When Hollis and Leon were remanded into custody news reached Jethro and Prince Simon, who eagerly sought out the dwarves and got directions to the cottage. They raced through the forest, and went they got to the cottage, found DuckyDwarf and SeniorFieldAgentTony trying to revive SnowAbby. Jethro saw his beautiful daughter and fell down beside her, calling out to his child to wake up and greet him. She lay still though, and the onlookers began to lose hope."

Abby regarded her audience members sadly.

"Then, handsome Prince Simon Cade leaned down and kissed her right on the lips, and he straightened up and told the others that he was in love with her. When he said those words, suddenly, she opened her eyes and responded that she loved him, as well! The entire group celebrated, and soon was joined by the other dwarves. SnowAbby and Prince Simon Cade married and returned to Anacostia Land to rule. Jethro, SeniorFieldDwarfTony, and the dwarves became good friends, and decided to turn the cottage into a legal aid society for indigent families. Then they all lived happily ever after!"

The men broke into a round of enthusiastic applause, and Abby jumped up from her seat and twirled, then curtsied. "Thank you all, so very, very much. I want to thank my…"

Tony tackled her playfully from behind, and they fell to the floor laughing. Jack and Jethro smiled and Jack spoke enthusiastically, "Wonderful academy award speech, my Dear!"

Tony and Abby pulled themselves to sitting positions, and Gibbs looked questioningly at his dad. "Who's next?"

"I am, I am!" Tony quickly got to his feet and waved his hand in the air. "Choose me, Jack, and remember that I already called second!"

Jack started laughing, and finally nodded his head. "Tony it is, then, to be our next performer. However, I want to declare another ten minute break first, before he starts his tale."

The others quickly dispersed and when they reconvened, they settled quickly, eager to begin the next story.

Tony, who loved an audience, grabbed his ledger and moved to the middle of the room to stand, eyeing the other three as he got himself ready.

"Once upon a time there was a faraway land that had been ruled by an evil giant named Slacks. Before he became ruler the country was a prosperous one, with plenty of work and food, and the inhabitants were happy, sociable, and content. However, once Slacks took control he taxed the poor citizens unmercifully until they could barely live. Then he decided to take half of all their crops- the ones they planted and tended, for himself. So, the poor innocent victims were hungry, miserable, and terrified of the evil man."

Abby, who had been sitting alone in a chair, took that opportunity to go sit by Jack, and she whispered, "Slacks is an FBI guy Tony doesn't like."

Jack put his arm around her and pulled her to him.

"So this Giant Slacks lived up in the sky, above the clouds, so that he did not have to witness the miserable existence his people endured. A heavy rope ladder served as the only way to access his castle, with the ladder raised and lowered only as needed for admittance. Evil Slacks had a palace fitted with every luxury imaginable, attained by his bullying, trickery, and theft, and had several servants to do his every bidding. The poor servants were made up of none other than his countrymen, the ones whom he had left so destitute that they could no longer pay his taxes. Consequently, he forced the victims to wait on him."

Tony motioned skyward, then resumed his narrative.

"In this impoverished village resided a handsome, brilliant, lovable young boy named Anthony. Anthony lived in a clean, but decrepit, shack with his father Jethro, grandfather Jack, and crybaby little sister, Abigail."

Abby sputtered a protest and grabbed a pillow to throw at Tony. Before she could extend her arm, however, Gibbs leaned over and pushed her hand down, then popped her on the leg and demanded, clearly not anticipating an answer, "What have I told you about throwing things in this house, Abby?"

He glared, expecting immediate remorse from her.

Her eyes filled and she rubbed her leg, then answered softly, "not to throw anything."

Gibbs nodded, clearly having gotten the response he anticipated.

Tony could not resist adding his own thoughts. "Yeah, I got a whole week without my basketball when I threw it in the house. A whole week, let me stress- Boss, don't you think…."

Gibbs interrupted, "No, I don't think, and she didn't get to actually throw anything. That subject just closed. Now, do you find it necessary to call her names in the fairy tale?"

Tony pursed his lips, trying to appear hurt, and Gibbs sighed, "Just get back to your story."


	5. Visualization

Visualization

Jack raised his eyebrows and regarded Abby, "You know, Tony was very respectful during your story."

She smiled guiltily, rubbing softly at her leg. "I know that."

Looking up at Tony she added, "I'm sorry about interrupting your story. I goofed there, Tony. My bad-"

He smiled his forgiveness, and then began the next part of the story.

"So Jethro served as the town's sole policeman, but with the little salary that he made, and the heavy taxes, the family stayed in bad shape. The wolf haunted their door, so to speak. In the house next to them lived a widow named Jenny and her unreliable but pretty daughter, Ziva, and on the other side of them lived a grandfather, Ducky, with his two clumsy but bright, orphaned grandsons, Timmy and Jimmy."

Even Gibbs laughed aloud at the character descriptions.

"So one day Jethro sent Anthony to the next town, Baltimore, and told him to take their last few cents and buy the family a chicken. He figured that the chicken would lay eggs, and at least the family could have something to eat on a predictable basis. So off Anthony went on the long journey. Though he was just a wee lad, as his neighbor liked to say, his father knew he could completely trust him. So Anthony made the long, treacherous journey, conducted the business transaction, and was on his way home carrying his chicken."

Tony stopped to take a swallow of his drink.

"It was beginning to get dark, and he was physically very tired, after making the arduous journey. He decided to sit down on a flat boulder that lay on the path's edge and rest for a moment or two, hoping that would give him time to catch his breath. He set the chicken down to scratch around the dirt and gravel in the semi dark but kept a watchful eye on the poultry. All of a sudden, the chicken started squawking and Tony jumped up to see that it had been bodily snatched, and snatched by none other than the local bully, a fiend named Trent Kort! Anthony lunged at the criminal, but Kort held up a knife and waved it threateningly, so poor Anthony had to retreat. He begged the bully for the return of the chicken, telling him his family was hungry. But Trent just laughed, reached into his pocket, and came up with a handful of dried beans. He threw them in the dirt and told Anthony his family could just eat those beans. Then he took off with the chicken."

Tony regarded the audience with a tragic expression.

"Knowing it was futile to give chase to an armed bully, Anthony leaned down and picked up one of the beans and walked the rest of the way home, dejected. When he got back to his meager home and gave an account, Jethro was furious that the boy had lost the chicken, and he smacked him- hard- on the back of the head and sent him to bed."

Jack and Abby swung their gazes to Gibbs, who held up his palms to defend himself, "It's a fairy tale- I didn't hit him!"

Tony frowned and puffed out his lip as he regarded his boss. "Sure, whatever- Anyway, poor Anthony headed to bed, so upset because he had made his father so mad…"

Here three more heads turned to regard Gibbs once again. He protested in self protection, "I didn't hit Anthony!"

The accusing glances didn't diminish, and Jethro sighed heavily and spoke resignedly to Tony, "Come here, you!"

Obediently, Tony walked to him, and Jethro reached up and clasped the back of his head. Then he pulled him down and kissed the top of his head and ruffled Tony's hair affectionately. "There, ok? Did I make it better? Is everybody happy now?" He grinned, and the other three laughed.

Tony smirked, then pretended a wounded tone as he responded, "It doesn't matter," as he moved back to the room's center.

"So," Tony continued, picking up the threads of his story again, "poor Anthony threw that lone bean out of his window, then cried himself to sleep that night."

He paused dramatically, and looked at each member of the audience individually before beginning the next segment. They waited attentively.

Abby stretched leisurely, then repositioned herself so that she was snuggled against Gibbs. He put his arm around her, and she relaxed in the embrace.

"The following morning when he went outside to play with Timmy and Jimmy, he discovered that the bean he'd thrown out the night before had grown into a thick stalk that touched the edge of his windowsill. By the time Ziva and Abigail joined the group, the stalk's length had increased higher than that of the house itself. As they played that afternoon, the stalk grew so fast, so rapidly, that it disappeared into the clouds before their startled eyes. Anthony desperately wanted to examine the beanstalk, but his neighbor, Ducky, had ordered the children to leave it alone. However, that night when Anthony's father sent him to bed, he slipped out of his window and began to climb. He climbed and he climbed, and finally, he made it above the clouds. When he did, he realized that he was in no other than the palace home of the evil giant, Slacks."

"Watch out, Anthony!" Abby held up a hand warningly.

Tony nodded, acknowledging her advice. "So of course he realized the imminent danger that awaited his next steps, but even at such a young age, he was brave, loyal, and incredibly handsome."

He turned a beaming smile on the other three, and they all grinned in response. Gibbs shook his head in resignation.

"Frightened as he was, he still wanted to observe his surroundings and find out as much as he could about this formidable enemy who had terrorized the village for so long. He crept silently from one gigantic room to another, and took in the lavish furnishings and ornate décor, the servants forced to work for Slacks, and finally, in the evil man's bedroom, a stack of gold nuggets from floor to ceiling! Anthony's sharp intellect propelled him to realize instantly that just one of those precious, gleaming gold nuggets would keep his family fed for a lifetime, and his clever mind quickly began to plot."

Tony smiled reassuringly at Jack, Gibbs, and Abby, then continued. "Before he could formulate a complete foolproof plan, though, he heard that horrible ogre as it stomped down the hall towards the bedroom. Slacks was roaring 'Fee, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of a brilliant one!' with each thundering footfall. Quickly Anthony slid under the giant's tremendous bed and hid himself, peeping out to watch as that wretched man crossed the room. The room actually shook as the monster threw himself on his bed for a nap, and for a moment, Anthony feared the bed would crash down and crush him."

Abby's hand suddenly shot up into the air and she began to wave it frantically, demanding Tony's attention.


	6. Dreaming

Dreaming

Tony scowled in annoyance at the disruption to his train of thought and turned in irritation to complain to Gibbs. "Boss, please tell Baby Girl not to interrupt me. I didn't interrupt her, and I don't appreciate my story getting sidelined."

Before Gibbs could answer Tony's plea Abby hissed loudly, "I didn't interrupt you at all, tattletale, I just wanted to ask a simple question!"

Tony snapped in reply. "Did I stop your flow of creativity when you were telling…." His voice rose in annoyance with each word.

Abby didn't let him finish his question, but yelled at him in reply, "What are you talking about creative?"

Suddenly Gibbs intervened and ordered forcefully. "That's it! Both of you…"

"Boss…" Tony tried, determined to explain his point of view.

"Gibbs, listen…" Abby attempted with the same motive.

Ignoring their defenses, or their endeavors at defense, he cut off their words and turned an icy gaze on first one, then the other. They silenced themselves at once, both sulking though, and he responded in his no nonsense tone of voice. "If I have to say another word to either of you tonight you're finished- and I do mean finished, for the evening. You had better work quickly to adjust your behavior, because if you start another argument, I will finish it for you. Am I absolutely clear? Do you understand me?"

Absorbing the threat, they nodded and smothered their protests, but scowled irritably at each other. Neither wanted to be banished upstairs, unable to enjoy the camaraderie in the living room, though, so they tempered their looks to pass below Jethro's radar.

Jack intervened then, slowly getting to his feet and taking hold of his cane. "I think we all sat much too long without a walk around break. As the moderator judge, I am officially calling a recess. Now, I want Miss Abby to accompany me. We're going to the kitchen to make some snacks for all of us to enjoy while Tony completes his wonderful tale."

He turned to Jethro, raised his eyebrows, and pointed out softly, "Son, your attitude needs to undergo some changing, too."

Jethro shook his head in annoyance, but grudgingly agreed when he realized his father expected an answer. "All right, Dad, I got it."

Abby followed Jack out to the kitchen, narrowing her eyes at Tony as she passed.

He scowled in response, then Tony threw himself down across the sofa cushions and complained.

"Why are you mad at me? She started it. That time it wasn't my fault, Boss," he defended himself.

Gibbs rubbed the bridge of his nose, sighed, and sat down on the sofa, as well, moving Tony's legs aside to give himself a sitting spot.

He counted to five before speaking as calmly as he could. "Anthony, Son, just how many times am I going to have to tell you to not let anyone, Abby included, push your buttons like that?"

"I don't know," Tony answered honestly, not meeting Jethro's gaze, but playing with the tassels on a throw pillow.

Jethro refused the offering of an answer and ordered, "That is not an acceptable answer to me. Try again."

Tony concentrated his attention on the cushion and thought for several seconds before he finally spoke.

"Usually I don't, though, Boss," he defended himself, looking up to gauge if Jethro accepted his explanation.

"She knows exactly how to send you over the edge, what to say or do to get a reaction, and she uses that knowledge," Gibbs elaborated.

"So, why aren't you going to yell at her instead of me? She always gets away with things. Why am I always the one in trouble getting a lecture from you?" Tony shoved the pillow into the space beside him in annoyance, looking, Gibbs thought, like a pouting toddler.

Gibbs sighed and counted to five again before speaking slowly. "I'm not fussing at you, nor am I yelling. My goal is to make you realize that you repeat this very pattern with Abby over and over. You let her aggravate you with the exact same triggers."

Tony frowned, then used both hands to recapture the pillow and place it over his face.

Jethro pulled it away and ordered firmly, however, "Move that pillow and look right at me, Son," then tipped up Tony's chin so that he had no choice but to do so.

Tony started to refuse, but thought better of that idea.

"Nevertheless," Jethro continued, setting the pillow on the other side of Tony, "you do the exact same thing to her. You know Abby's Achilles heel and you target that any time you want to pick a fight."

Tony perked up then, grinning happily and sitting up straighter. "That's true enough, Boss. I have the Baby Girl's number!"

Gibbs shook his head in exasperation at Tony's responsive delight. Licking his lips, he continued. "So why do you two do that to each other? It's incredible to me that each of you would rip someone to shreds if that someone hurt the other, but at home you fight like cats and dogs. Why can't your public behavior make it here into house? You are the Tony who protects Abby, who beat that guy into the ground last year because he got physical with Abby. Once you come here, however, you create an argument over who didn't clean up the dishes, or whose turn it is to choose the tv program- ridiculous things just like that."

Tony closed his eyes, then opened them again within a few seconds to reply softly.

"Honestly, Boss, I don't know the answer to that one."

Quiet fell over them for almost a full minute, both lost in thought. Finally Gibbs broke the silence, his voice firm and uncompromising once again, that parent voice he used at home with them.

"Ok, well I'm promising you right now that if this behavior occurs again tonight, both of your butts are going to suffer," Jethro promised.

"We're already housebound, Boss, " Tony pointed out, then realized his error when Gibbs responded decisively.

"Then why don't we see how liberating just being housebound is when you're both confined to your rooms? In fact, I could send you there, to your room, right now, and you could give me a report in the morning."

"Never mind, Boss, I was just confused there," the senior agent answered quickly, already regretting putting any ideas into his Boss's head.

"Hmmm…." Gibbs leaned over, kissed Tony's forehead, tousled Tony's hair, and put an arm around his shoulder before remarking wistfully. "Son, I can not tell you how nice it will be for me when you and Abby finally mature."

"Mature, I am, Boss…" Tony tried to defend himself, turning so that he could meet Jethro's gaze.

Gibbs tightened his grip on Tony's shoulder and asked incredulously, "Are you honestly responding that you think you are mature?"

"No," Tony answered, realizing that Gibbs had a point.

Gibbs prodded, "No what?"

"Uhm, no sir?" Tony responded, not sure exactly what Gibbs wanted him to say.

Jethro threw his head back and laughed, then tousled Tony's hair again.

"I meant, how about something like, no, but I'll try harder, or no, but I'm working on it, Boss!"

He was rewarded with a megawatt smile from his senior agent, then Tony settled against him. They sat lost in thought until Jack and Abby's return interrupted the companionable silence.


	7. Invention

Invention

Setting down a large bowl of popcorn, coffee for Gibbs, and hot chocolate for the rest of them, the other two looked at Gibbs and Tony expectantly.

Jack had obviously talked to Abby, and like Tony, she appeared chastened. She beelined to the sofa and leaned over Tony, holding herself balanced by putting her hands on either side of Tony's head.

She planted a kiss on his cheek then giggled, "Sorry, Tony, for halting your fabulous fairy tale. I was at fault there."

Tony pretended to pout, but then winked at her. "I guess I can forgive and forget for you, Baby Girl."

Reaching up quickly to catch her unawares, he grabbed her and yanked her over him, then started tickling her. Even taken off guard that way, she still managed to recover and tickle him as well, and the two fell off of the couch into a heap.

Jethro watched in amusement until they stopped, leaving Abby giggling and Tony breathless and sprawled on the floor.

Jack smiled gleefully over the rim of his cup. "That's so much better, you two, showing a little love for each other."

Tony dislodged himself from under Abby, and both made their ways haphazardly to the couch. Tony gained his balance, then grabbed his ledger and waved his story in the air with a flourish.

Once Tony stood again in the room's center, ledger in hand, Abby scooted back to sit by Gibbs.

Jack announced, in the excited, dramatic voice of an emcee. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we now return to our masterpiece story in progress, the fine tale of one young man's battle against a horrible giant!"

Gibbs grinned and Abby giggled delightedly.

Tony bowed to the three listeners, and continued his story as though the interruption had never ocurred.

"There the poor boy lay trapped, under the very bed where the giant had thrown himself. Anthony thought his heart would actually stop beating from fear until he heard the giant's breathing turn to loud, window rattling snores. They were so loud that the knickknacks on the fireplace mantle actually shook as he exhaled his atrocious giant breath. Anthony crawled cautiously out from under the bed and tiptoed across the room. It appeared to him that the giant was safely asleep, so he stealthily made his way through the rest of castle, assessing the spoils and riches. He recognized many of the treasures as items stolen from his own townspeople, and he realized that he desperately wanted to avenge them."

Tony shook his head emphatically to stress the last words.

"As sharp and quick witted as he was, he quickly formulated a plan. Making his way into the kitchen, his surprise appearance nearly made the servants there cry out in alarm.

Once he assured them that he wanted to save them, and they understood their hero had arrived, their stories began to pour out in gushes of conversation. All of them had been conscripted, or blackmailed in some way, to work as servants for the cruel monster. Of course they received no pay or fringe benefits, and ugly giant Slacks abused them regularly. Consulting the main housekeeper, he asked for the whereabouts of the palace's bedding."

Tony stopped and took a long sip of his now cooling hot chocolate.

"Anthony instructed them to follow him to the linen closet. Once there, he hurriedly passed out pillowcases as he mapped out his incredibly brilliant plan of action. Recognizing his intelligence and cunning, the servants quickly grabbed the cases and followed him on tiptoe to the giant's bedroom. They stood by quietly, waiting for Anthony to signal them."

Swallowing too quickly, Jack choked on his cocoa and began coughing. Tony paused, watching worriedly. He and Abby both adored Jackson Gibbs, and his affection encompassed them, as well. Finally Jack signaled that all was well, and Tony returned to the plot.

"The poor boy felt frightened, but he straightened his shoulders and recognized that he alone was the only one who could gain recompense for the townspeople, and for his own family. Yelling as loudly as he could, he raced into the giant's room and crawled up the posts of the bed to land on the mattress. Then jumping on it like a trampoline, he catapulted himself onto the ogre's face, slamming into his nose and startling awake the vicious one instantly. The giant roared out in pain, and leapt out of the bed in an attempt to dislodge his unwelcome visitor. The boy clung to him until the giant staggered blindly into the hall, then he jumped down and baited the monster, calling out at the top of his lungs, "Fee fi fo fum, I smell the tears of of a beaten one!"

Abby sucked in a breath and then curled firmly against Gibbs. He tightened his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

Tony continued, "The giant set off in pursuit, and Anthony led him, deliberately, through all of the rooms of the castle except the monster's own bedroom. Meanwhile, in the bedroom, and following Anthony's plan, the servants had sneaked in and frantically loaded the pillowcases with the gold nuggets. While Anthony kept the ogre's sight's fixated on him, they made their way one by one, with the spoils, down that beanstalk. Though exhausted from keeping the monster at bay, the hero knew he had to cover his neighbors as they escaped. When he felt that the necessary time had elapsed for their safe departure, he finally turned his attention to his own safe escape."

Tony grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped it into his mouth. He chewed quickly, and focused onto the story again.

"Scampering onto the sink, he grabbed the faucet's water nozzle and powered on the water, then sent the high powered stream straight into the giant's eyes. That forced the giant to stop his pursuit in order to mop the blasting water. Anthony quickly shot another stream at his gigantic feet, not stopping until the giant, in pain and angry beyond control, tried to make his unsteady way to the water source. As he stumbled blindly, he slid into the puddle of water and fell back, cracking his head on the stone floor and rendering him unconscious."

Abby started to clap at the turn of events, but Gibbs grabbed her hands and shook his head softly. She popped her hands over her mouth and settled back against him.

"The second the monster's body slammed to the floor, Anthony cut off the flow of water and raced back to the giant's bedroom, where he hurriedly filled two pillowcases of his own with those precious gold nuggets. Tying the edges of the pillowcases together, he draped them around his neck, leaving his hands free. Remembering the rope ladder kept in the palace, he hurried back to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, then systematically destroyed the ladder into a mass of ravelling fibers. Satisfied with his work, he raced for the beanstalk and scrambled down the gigantic stem as fast as he could, actually sliding the last several feet and landing with a thud on the ground."


	8. Creation

Creation

Tony licked his lips.

"The first face he saw was his father's, and he quickly hugged him and promised him that he was safe, then did the same with his sister and grandfather. He sputtered the story in bits and pieces, and his father ran to the barn and returned with an ax, while their freed neighbors hurried over to excitedly thank Anthony for saving them. Suddenly the bully and chicken thief, Trent Kort, pushed his way through the crowd, eyeing the gold and quickly concluding its origin. Shoving Anthony out of the way, he sneered at the crowd and began shimmying his way up the stalk. Absolutely no one called out a warning. Instead, they watched him go, and listened to his maniacal rants over his future fortune until he was no longer audible. Once his body disappeared within the cloud line, Anthony and his father alternated chopping the thick stalk with one sharp blow after another. It seemed to take hours, but finally they severed the access route. Father and son had completely destroyed any future entrance or exit from the giant's castle! The Slacks monster and Trent Kort were left with each other and no means of escape."

Tony threw out his arms in a grand gesture.

"So, thanks to Anthony, not only his family, but the families of everyone in the village never had to worry about terroristic, bullying, ugly, evil giants ever again. They all prospered, and lived happily ever after."

With his concluding words Tony bowed deeply to the sounds of his audience's applause and compliments. He grinned broadly, then plopped down on the sofa in triumph. "I am wiped out now from saving the day!"

They all laughed again, and Jack reminded Jethro, "That one was superb, too, like Abby's. You need to step up to the plate and prove you're a contender, Son."

Gibbs rose and patted the front pocket of his shirt. Once he felt his glasses, he pulled them out and popped them on, then grabbed his ledger.

Tony and Abby arranged themselves on the sofa.

Jethro looked over at the others one by one and smirked, then began to read.

"Once upon a time there was a single parent, a very patient man, with two children and they lived in a small hut in a tremendous forest."

Tony and Abby exchanged delighted glances, and Jack got up to sit down on the sofa between them. Graciously, they moved to give him room, waited for him to settle, then scooted closer to him, leaning against him as he draped his arms over both of them and embraced them.

Gibbs scrutinized the three over his glasses, then went back to reading out loud.

"So this father, Gibbs, worked very hard as a carpenter, which kept food on the table, but left little else for luxuries. His children, Anthony and Abigail, normally conducted themselves responsibly around the house and gave him great happiness. However, at least once a week they would get into a loud, ridiculous, uncalled for, childish altercation with each other, thus destroying the peace of the little hut."

Tony and Abby slid down in their seats, and had the grace to look embarrassed when Jethro focused upon them. Jack patted each one consolingly.

"So the father was at his wit's ends with the two of them, and the fact that they thrived on immature behavior at home. Their last argument had stemmed from the question of who caused the most trouble in the household. However, except for those skirmishes, the family was a good one. The son was strong and kind, handsome and intelligent."

Tony pointed to himself in delight, and Abby rolled her eyes.

"The daughter was beautiful, sweet, kind, and intuitive."

Abby stuck her tongue out at Tony and he scowled back at her.

"There had been no mother since the children were babies. One day, while Jethro was selling his wares in the nearest village he met an attractive woman, Jenny,"

Tony interrupted gleefully, "A redhead, no less…."

Jethro turned a withering gaze his way, and Tony didn't bother to finish his sentence.

"As I was saying, Gibbs and she began to see each other. Pretty soon, they married, and she found herself step mother to his two children."

Jack turned to regard a shocked Tony and Abby, unable to hide their surprise that Gibbs had publically admitted a romantic link with Jenny Shepard after all these years. "Where have I heard about a Jenny before?" Jack spoke softly, a note of confusion in his voice.

Tony whispered, "Old flame of the Boss's, became NCIS director…."

Abby interrupted to conclude, "….not necessarily a good couple, but a good looking one."

Jethro ignored the explanatory comments and continued, looking directly at Abby and Tony, "So, the main rule that Jethro had for his children was that they were to never, ever lie to him, that they were to always tell him the truth. They had tested him on that a couple of times, but when they found the consequences usually earned them a spanking or equally distasteful response, they didn't usually repeat the mistake."

Tony and Abby exchanged knowing glances, then squirmed in their seats.

Tony opened his mouth to speak, and Gibbs leveled a gaze at him. "Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Uhm," Tony began, not sure if he should proceed, "how old are these sweet kids?"

"Old enough," Jethro replied brusquely, quickly dismissing any further discussion. "So, unbeknownst to Jethro, Jenny, who was generally good but had her share of faults, began to encourage the children to deceive their father."

Abby interrupted in the same tone of voice she employed with him in attempts to wheedle her way out of trouble, "Gibbs, then, they really aren't…."

"Did we, or did we not establish that you would no longer interrupt the storytelling, Young Lady?" Gibbs sternly asked in response. He waited impatiently for her to stammer a reply.

"Yes, right, we absolutely did, and that's my very last time."

"Good," he retorted, pinpointing his place on the ledger's page and taking up the reading again. "So Jenny had encouraged Anthony to venture into the forest several times to fetch a variety of items for her. When he returned with the goods, she then had Abigail go through them and give Jenny a detailed report on the spoils. Jenny demanded complete obedience, and also instructed the children not to confide their activities to their father. Though Abigail and Anthony knew, without a doubt, that a sin of omission ranked the same as lying, they agreed nonetheless to deceive their dad."

Jack turned to regard the younger two in surprise, obviously wanting to question both about prior incidents. Abby, feelings hurt, started to speak in an attempt to defend them. Before she could, however, Tony placed his hand over her mouth, shaking his head to her to stay quiet.


	9. Picturing

Picturing

Gibbs noted the response, then continued the narrative. "The next time the poor man left for the village, Jenny told the children to follow her, because they were embarking on an exciting adventure. Anthony and Abigail had fought over a muffin that morning, and Jethro, aggravated, had broken it in half and given part of the crumbly mess to each child. They set off behind their stepmother, crumbs falling and leaving a trail behind them. Jenny led them deeper and deeper into the trees, and finally after they were all exhausted, she suggested that the trio sit down and rest. The exhausted children fell asleep at once, propped against a tremendous oak tree, completely worn out from the excursion. Jenny laughed in delight, and raced back home through the woods, leaving them to the mercy of the forest."

Gibbs paused then, and took a long swallow of his coffee. He regarded the audience over the top of his glasses.

Tony and Abby exchanged glances of concern.

"That had been her intention all along, to get rid of the children. Cleverly, she had used them unashamedly to do her dirty work, the scouting and examination of places that would be too far away for anyone to trace. Had they just once confided in their father what she had requested of them, he would have surmised what evil she planned. However, they did not do that."

Jack stood up to stretch his cramped muscles, then moved back to his favorite chair.

Tony and Abby scooted together on the couch, snuggling against each other. Tony rested his back against the arm of the sofa, and slung an arm over Abby's shoulder to pull her protectively beside him.

Gibbs noted Tony's protectiveness and waited for the three of them to settle before he spoke again.

"That night when Jethro got home from the village it was to find his wife sobbing over the children, who had disobeyed her instructions and warnings, she claimed, and run off into the forest. She told him, between her sobs, that she had spent the afternoon searching for them, but to no avail. Horrified, Gibbs started to race out of the house to search, but she stopped him, pointing out a practical observation, that he could see nothing in the pitch dark night. It would be better to start the search fresh, when daylight came upon them. Reluctantly, he realized that she was correct, so he stayed waiting and praying at the table, drinking coffee until sunrise. Then he took off, not sure where the kids would have headed, but determined to get to his children."

Jack shook his head in concern, and Gibbs grinned at him, then continued.

"Meanwhile, it did not take long after Abigail and Anthony awoke for the children to realize that they had been lured into a trap, and to realize that they had made a critical error in judgment with their stepmother. Their tears and upset did nothing to help the situation, though, and finally they joined hands and started on a roughly hewn path through the forest. They were hungry and thirsty, and more than anything, they wanted to go home to their dad. The path proved hard to navigate, with tree limbs and brambles, and no way to tell if they were headed correctly. They did find a glimmer of hope in the fact that their morning muffin had spilled crumbs which could lead them back, but soon they realized the little birds had helped themselves to the muffin remains while they slept."

Gibbs took another swallow and observed Tony and Abby carefully. They were completely silent, watching him wide eyed as they huddled together against the sofa arm. That sight was what he never tired of seeing, their obvious love and protective instincts for each other, as opposed to their battle personas.

Tony puffed out his lip in a pout and Abby's eyes filled at Jethro's open scrutiny of them. He turned his attention back to the fairy tale story and began to read.

"Dark was approaching and they were scared, all alone like that in the forest, and they were so very tired and hungry. All of a sudden the path emptied into a lovely clearing, and right in the middle of the clearing stood a little cottage. They held hands and ran towards it, excited at the chance to speak to someone and get help. Once they stood in front of the house, however, they realized that it was made entirely of candy. Each reached up a hand and snapped off a piece of one of the candy bar window shutters, then quickly exchanged with each other. 'Take mine,' Anthony insisted to Abigail, 'it doesn't have nougat.' She, in turn, gave him her nougat section."

Tony and Abby exchanged knowing glances.

"The kids happily gobbled up the treats and were about to reach for more when a voice behind them called out, 'I wouldn't do that, if I were you. It would spoil your supper.' Swiveling around they discovered a little old crone with a walking stick making her way to the cottage. She had a toothpick in her mouth, and as she got closer, Anthony pushed Abigail behind him, having been taught by his father that he was always to protect his sister. The old crone laughed at the little boy's loyalty to his sibling, then invited them inside, where she promised they would be able to eat, drink, and rest."

Jack shook his head and interrupted to comment, "My, oh my, oh my!" Realizing everyone had turned to look at him, he cleared his throat self consciously and tried to recover, "I just meant, this is longer than I thought you'd ever be able to compose, Son."

Jethro grinned.

"The children dutifully followed her inside the house, and she told them to sit and rest while she made them some supper to fill their empty tummies. They didn't argue, but nearly collapsed in their chairs as they relayed the story of their day in exhausted bursts of speech, politely taking turns. As she cooked, Tony and Abby scrutinized their surroundings. The place was small but tidy, and that encouraged their interest. Surreptitiously, they began to take a more discriminating look at the surroundings. They exchanged suspicious glances, then Anthony signaled Abigail to take a better look at their hostess. He suspected the crone actually was a man trying to disguise himself as a woman with female attire. Abigail spoke up, making introductions, 'Ma'am, my name's Abigail and this is Anthony. What is your name?' A long silence followed the question, and at first the kids thought she hadn't heard, because the crone did not respond."

Gibbs began to pace the living room a bit, trying to work the kinks out of his muscles from standing so solidly. Finally satisfied that he had helped his muscles as much as he could, he stopped, sipped more coffee, and spoke again.


	10. Idealism

Idealism

"The old hag informed them that she was Leona Vance, and before they could ask for more detail, she announced supper. The children were ravenous, and as if by magic knowledge, Leona had prepared pizza and Caf Pow, which they both loved. They thanked her, displaying the good manners taught to them by their father, as they filled their tummies. As they ate, Leona Vance watched them covertly. The children were right to be suspicious- Leona was, in reality, Leon Vance, a horrible warlock who loved nothing better than to destroy families because of their team dynamic. These two children had fallen into his hands, and he did not want to lose the opportunity to capture them, hold them prisoner, fatten them, and gobble them up when winter settled heavily over the forest."

Gibbs took a deep breath before he resumed. "The criminal made his way to the oven and reached into its depths. Turning around and looking embarrassed, he claimed to have knocked the rest of the pizza onto the bottom of the oven, and asked Abigail to come reach it with her long, slender fingers. The stove was off, but the residual heat kept the pizza warm. She jumped up to do as he bid, and Anthony followed. As soon as Abigail leaned into the warm oven the warlock pushed her in, and wheeled to grab Anthony and shove him beside his sister. Anthony, however, had been taught by his father to always carry a knife. He realized that their lives were in jeopardy, and as the sorcerer made his move, Anthony snatched his sister back with one hand, then held up the knife and ordered Leona to get inside the oven! With a knife threatening him, the evil one realized he had been outwitted by the Team Gibbs kids. He began to cry and beg loudly for mercy, and the children consulted with each other. After a brief discussion, they decided that they would grant a bit of clemency. Quickly they trussed him, and tied him to a board that they made into a pallet. Then they attached ropes to the pallet so that they could pull the criminal behind them, grabbed torches that they lit for illumination, and ordered him to direct the way out of the forest, which he did, though not without a few promptings from Anthony's knife."

Abby couldn't restrain herself then. She had been wiggling excitedly as the ending progressed, and she started clapping enthusiastically, pleased that the children triumphed.

Jack admonished her, "Abby, wait now and let him finish the story." She stopped and rearranged herself against Tony once more, and Tony changed position as well. Gibbs waited for them to get settled again before he concluded the tale.

"A few hours after they left the cottage they spilled out of the forest into the very village which bordered their home. As luck would have it, their daddy, who had waited until daylight to set out, had decided to go to the village first to seek volunteers to help in the search. He and the group of men had just really entered the forest when his missing children ran into them, exiting the woods. What a reunion that was! They children and father were so happy to be reunited that they almost forgot the wicked stepmother. She had gone with Jethro to the village, and her fury reached an incredible level when she saw the children reappear. As soon as the kids saw her they began frantically blaming her for their being lost, and Gibbs stalked over to confront the woman. Before he could make it, though, a scene erupted between Leona, or Leon, who had been released from the board and was being marched to jail. From the screams the onlookers pieced together that Leon and Jen were actually married, but that Jenny had insisted she wanted to travel the world, and she had left him. Minutes later she was locked up beside her real husband, and they remained in prison for the rest of their lives."

Gibbs put down the ledger and started out of the room. "Boss, wait!" Tony scrambled to a sitting position and called urgently. "What happened to the dad and kids?"

Gibbs stopped in his tracks and turned around, giving them a beautiful smile. "What do you think happened? The dad got the marriage annulled, and he and his children lived happily ever after. Besides that, as word of the story spread to other villages, Jethro's dad heard and decided to travel to visit his son and meet his grandchildren, whom he had never seen. He joined them and lived with them from that day forward."

Gibbs winked conspiratorially at his father, and Jack nodded back. Tony spoke softly to Abby, and Gibbs couldn't hide the twinkles in his eyes. "No, Tony, he didn't punish the kids for not telling him the truth. He thought they had gotten more than enough of a reprimand for their omission with their terrifying ordeal."

Abby and Tony grinned at that, and then everyone stood, stretched, and made their way into the kitchen. Jethro glanced up at the clock and registered shock at the time. Turning to Tony and Abby he ordered, "You two, get to bed right now. I didn't realize how late it was."

Both automatically opened their mouths to protest, but he held up a hand warningly, "This is not debatable. Get to bed, now."

Grudgingly, they made their ways to the stairs, and Jack yawned, as well. "We need to turn in also, Son. I'm all tuckered out, and I know you need rest."

Gibbs reached out and pulled his father over to him, then hugged him gently.

When he stepped back, it was to see Tony and Abby stopped midway up the stairs. "Did I, or did I not tell you two to get your butts to bed?" His voice rose irritably.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, we are going, right now, we just…." Abby spoke soothingly.

"Just…" Tony continued, "we just wanted to ask Jack who won the story contest."

Gibbs turned to regard his father. "Thanks for reminding me. Well, Dad, I think we all want to know who won."

"Easy," the older man answered, trying to hide a smirk and beginning to climb the stairs himself. "I won, because I was the only one who didn't make up a story."

With that he passed Tony and Abby on the steps and continued his ascent.

The other three looked at each other in shock, absorbing the fact that Jack had not only duped them, but had given a ridiculous reason for duping them, and watched him stop on the landing to look back at them.

He smirked, raised his eyebrows, and concluded, "And all of you will live happily ever after for it."


End file.
